Old Road Rum Limited Edition named World’s Best Rum at 2025 Bartender Spirits Awards

At the 2025 Bartender Spirits Awards, America’s top bartenders selected Old Road Rum from St. Kitts and Nevis as the World’s Best Rum. The competition, held annually in the United States, is recognized for its rigorous judging process, which evaluates spirits based on quality, innovation, value, and craftsmanship. The panel consists of leading bartenders and industry professionals from across the country.

Old Road Rum is produced by the Old Road Rum Company, founded by Jack Widdowson. The brand takes its name from Old Road Town, the site of the first English colony in the Caribbean, established in 1623. This connection to history is central to the brand’s identity. St. Kitts was once a major sugar producer in the British West Indies, with its volcanic soil and tropical climate making it ideal for sugarcane cultivation. Although commercial sugar production ended on the island in 2005, rum-making traditions have continued through a new wave of craft distillers.

The Old Road Rum Limited Edition was first released in 2022. It is an ultra-premium blend of pot and column-distilled rums aged for about 12 years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. While the company is based in St. Kitts, production takes place in Barbados, reportedly at Foursquare Distillery, with additional blending of aged rums from other Caribbean sources. The final product is matured and bottled on St. Kitts.

This limited edition rum has received praise for its complexity and balance. In the glass, it shows a deep amber-gold color with shades of burnt orange and mahogany, reflecting its extended aging process. On the nose, it offers aromas of molasses, caramel, toffee, burnt sugar, and ripe tropical fruits such as banana, guava, and dried pineapple. These are joined by baking spices like nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon, along with floral notes of hibiscus and orange blossom. Subtle hints of old leather, tobacco leaf, wood polish, and a touch of funky esters reminiscent of Jamaican rum add further depth.

On the palate, Old Road Rum is creamy and robust with a mouth-coating texture. Flavors include caramel, vanilla, burnt sugar, brown butter, dried figs, dates, stewed plums, orange zest, and almond. Spice notes of cinnamon, clove, and black pepper are present alongside herbal touches of pipe tobacco and black tea. The finish is long and layered with lingering notes of molasses, caramel, cedarwood, wood spices, dried fruit, and a faint hint of smoke.

The International Bartender Spirits Awards are known for setting benchmarks in the spirits industry. Winning this award places Old Road Rum among the most respected rums globally and highlights the growing reputation of artisanal Caribbean rums on the world stage.

Old Road Rum Limited Edition retails for $99 per 750 ml bottle at 46% ABV. It can be enjoyed neat or paired with foods such as dark chocolate or Caribbean-inspired dishes. The recognition at this year’s competition underscores both the legacy of St. Kitts’ sugar heritage and the modern revival of high-quality rum production in the region.